Dear friends, family, and colleagues,
Well, I've been talking about it for a while, and the time has come to commit. I've gone and booked my tickets - I'll be heading to Osaka, Japan for the spring!
I will be leaving March 5th (yes, Trish and Nicole, I'll still be here for Picesfest 2007) and returning May 31st (yes, just in time to get my camping gear together and go off to the Free Spirit Festival two weeks later).
It is a little scary, and means borrowing some money for a while, but if I don't take advantage of the opportunity to do this while circumstances allow I will be kicking myself forever.
I will be reachable by e-mail once I get settled in. Thanks to the net I will be able to work and stay in touch almost as if I were still in Catonsville, ain't technology grand?
I will provide contact details to those who need them, once I have them myself (still in negotiations for an apartment). But my main purpose in this message is to let you know the status of some of my various enterprises during this time:
Zelda's Inferno poetry workshop: will continue, with the return of Our Fearless Leader, Robin Gunkel, to the U.S.A.! I am excited that she will be bringing us lessons from her Mastership of the Fine Art of poetry.
Catonsville Seido Karate: the program will be on hiatus while I am away. The last class before the break will be March 1st. Students are encouraged to train with Kyoshi Kate and Senpai David at the Howard County YMCA program, classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. (Also if an Annapolis program should get started during that time, it would be wonderful for Catonsville students to go there and give some support to
Senpai Scott.) The Catonsville program will start up again June 5.
Shiatsu at the Well: will not be available until I get back.
However I can recommend Dee Weir at the Columbia Shiatsu Center,
www.columbiashiatsu.com, to anyone wanting a treatment during that time.
Thank you all for your support and encouragement.
-Tom